YWTGU -Chapter 46 Inspection Turns into Disaster – Lord Li’s Wild Moves

Being in Great Qi as an undercover agent!

Li An actually had a strong sense of responsibility about being an undercover agent.

Especially since he was multiple layers deep as a spy!

However, ever since the last World Expo construction, when Liu Wanqing had set him up, his relationship with the Prime Minister had deteriorated sharply.

There was no way around it! Liu Wanqing had directly cut off the Prime Minister’s merchants’ livelihoods!

Li An couldn’t explain too much. If he tried, he would not only risk exposing his identity but also make the situation even messier.

So…

At present, his undercover role with the Prime Minister was in a state of mutual suspicion, ready to fall apart at any time.

In private, Prime Minister Wang Fu had already hinted—both openly and subtly—about exposing Li An’s alleged affair with the Empress.

Naturally, Li An pretended not to understand. He didn’t care. A dead pig isn’t afraid of boiling water. If Wang Fu dared expose this royal scandal, let him try! He simply didn’t care.

This infuriated Wang Fu, who secretly wondered how to teach Li An a lesson so that he could once again be a useful sword in his hands.

So it wasn’t surprising that when Li An started causing chaos with the new imperial examinations, Wang Fu didn’t openly oppose him. He even allowed it to spiral, planning to punish Li An harshly later.

But…

Did Li An care?

Not at all!

He even welcomed it!

Sue me! Go ahead, sue me harshly!

…

The next day…

Li An had barely opened his eyes when he heard a commotion outside his door.

“Lord! Lord, get up quickly!”

The panic in Jin Daya’s voice was palpable.

“What’s going on?”

Rubbing his eyes, Li An threw on his robe and stepped out.

“Something big has happened!”

Jin Daya’s face was pale with worry.

“The newly appointed officials caused chaos in all the departments yesterday!”

“They’re all writing memorials to impeach you!”

“Today’s morning court is probably going to be anything but peaceful!”

“Impeach?”

Li An paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

“Good! Impeach me! That’s exactly what I’m waiting for!”

Jin Daya was stunned by his reaction.

“L… Lord, you’re not running a fever, right?”

“You’re the one with a fever!”

Li An patted his shoulder, feeling great.

“Prepare the carriage. I’m personally going to inspect the departments today!”

“Inspect?”

Jin Daya was even more confused.

“These people in the six ministries would love to eat you alive, and you’re still going?”

“The more tense the situation, the more I must go. Otherwise, it’ll look like I’m guilty,” Li An said with a mischievous grin.

“I’m going to personally pour fuel on this fire!”

…

Ministry of Revenue

A carriage slowly stopped at the gate.

Li An had barely stepped out when a pungent stench hit him, almost knocking him over.

“Cough… cough… what is this smell?”

He covered his nose, tears welling up.

“Reporting, Lord!”

A junior clerk approached, looking miserable.

“This is the masterpiece of Old Man Li… err, Lord Li.”

“He brought dozens of carts of night-scented herbs from the palace, saying they were for composting!”

“Now the entire Ministry of Revenue reeks of it!”

Li An fought back nausea as he stepped inside.

What he saw was utter chaos.

The once-neat flowerbeds were completely overturned.

Precious, rare flowers were uprooted and thrown everywhere.

In their place were piles of dark, stinking matter.

Several newly-tilled plots of soil were filled with unknown substances.

Old Man Li squatted beside a pile of fertilizer, poking it with his finger, muttering to himself.

“Hmm, this batch has fermented enough.”

“In two days, turn it over to let it breathe.”

“Another month of composting, and it’ll be ready for the fields.”

Two farmers squatted nearby, listening attentively.

“Master Li, how much fertilizer should go on an acre?”

“Three hundred jin at minimum, no limit on more.”

Old Man Li counted on his fingers laboriously.

“Remember, it’s never too much, only too little.”

“Too little, the crops won’t grow well.”

“Too much, the crops grow stronger!”

“Lord Li has arrived!”

At this moment, someone nearby saw Li An and exclaimed.

Old Man Li looked up, beaming.

“Lord Li! Just in time!”

He stood, ignoring the filth on his hands, and grabbed Li An’s sleeve.

“Look at this fertilizer! Isn’t it wonderful!”

“I tell you, palace night-scented herbs are far superior to ordinary fertilizer!”

“The Empress’s ladies eat well, so what comes out is full of nutrients!”

“Spread this, and the sweet potato shoots will grow like crazy!”

Li An looked at his now-stained sleeve, took a deep breath, and held back the urge to gag.

Damn… this smell… will take three days to wash off!

And this old man’s words…

The Empress’s ladies’ excrement is nutrient-rich?

If anyone in the palace heard this, Old Man Li would probably be executed on the spot!

But thinking about it…

Li An couldn’t help but grin.

Perfect! This is real sabotage!

This is real extravagance gone wrong!

Uproot all these precious flowers!

Bring palace excrement for public composting—this is a direct insult to royal dignity!

At that moment, a sharp voice rang out.

“Li An!”

A middle-aged man in green official robes rushed over, his face red and tear-streaked.

“Look at this!”

He pointed at the trampled flowers, shaking with anger.

“These are roses tribute from Persia! One plant is worth a hundred taels of silver!”

“And these peonies from the Great Fei kingdom! Orchids from the South Seas!”

“All… all destroyed by this old man!”

“You must give me an explanation!”

Li An blinked and deliberately played dumb.

“Explanation? Who are you?”

“I am Zhao Wencai, Flower Officer of the Ministry of Revenue!”

He clearly cared for the flowers, choking on his words.

“I’m in charge of cultivating the royal flowers!”

“These flowers are the result of nearly ten years of my work!”

“Flowers?”

Li An looked at the mess, then at the piles of manure, and asked seriously:

“Zhao Officer, let me ask you.”

“Can flowers be eaten?”

Zhao Wencai froze.

“Ah?”

“Can flowers be eaten?”

Li An emphasized further.

“No… no.”

“What about sweet potatoes?”

“Yes.”

“What about corn?”

“Yes.”

“In that case…”

Li An nodded solemnly.

“What’s the point of planting flowers that look nice but are useless?”

“Better to grow food!”

“If the people are full, that’s the right path!”

“This… this is heresy!”

Zhao Wencai stomped furiously.

“These flowers are for the royal household! They represent Great Qi’s prestige!”

“Prestige?”

Li An sneered.

“If the people are starving, what use is prestige?”

“Old Man Li did the right thing!”

“Uproot flowers, make fertilizer, grow food for the people!”

“That’s truly serving the country and its people!”

He walked up to Old Man Li and loudly declared in front of everyone:

“Old Man Li!”

“Well done!”

“Keep uprooting! Clear all the flowers from the Ministry of Revenue!”

“All the palace excrement is yours too—turn it all into fertilizer!”

Old Man Li was genuinely moved, eyes turning red.

“Lord Li… you… you are the best official I’ve ever seen!”

“Other officials disdain us farmers, but only you understand us!”

The surrounding farmers, who had been observing, also became excited.

“Lord Li is wise!”

“Finally, we farmers have our day!”

Zhao Wencai watched this and was speechless with anger.

“You… you…”

“I will report this to the Emperor!”

He flung his sleeves and stomped away, wailing:

“Li An is harming the country and the people! Bringing disgrace to culture!”

“The Emperor must punish him!”

Li An watched him leave, a smug smile on his lips.

Sue me! Yell at me!

The harsher you attack, the worse my reputation, the more the Emperor trusts me, and the faster the national fortune declines!

Ding!

【Detected: Host openly supporting illegal actions during inspection…】

【Ministry of Revenue’s rare flowers destroyed, centuries-old cultural tradition broken…】

【Flower Officer Zhao Wencai mentally collapsed, vows to die in protest…】

【National Fortune -1000】

【Current National Fortune: 76,500】

Li An felt ecstatic.

One thousand points!

And this was just the first department he inspected!

There are still the other six ministries—he could easily bring the national fortune down by thousands or even tens of thousands more!

“Let’s go!”

He clapped his hands and strode out.

“To the Ministry of Works!”

…

Ministry of Works – Foundry

Li An had barely reached the entrance when a deafening explosion shook the place.

“Boom!”

Thick black smoke poured out, nearly blackening Li An’s face.

“What happened?”

He coughed and stepped inside.

The scene before him made him gasp.

A furnace had completely collapsed, the area in total disarray.

Craftsmen scattered in panic, some rolling on the ground trying to put out fires.

A large man covered in soot scratched his head, looking frustrated.

It was Zhang Tiezhu.

“I said to increase the firepower a little more…”

He muttered, brushing the dust off.

“The heat was just a little off, just a little, and…”

“Who knew it would actually explode…”

At his feet lay scattered chunks of strange metal slag.

Dull in color, but faintly glinting with metallic shine.

No one paid attention to that; everyone was busy extinguishing the fire and fleeing.

“Zhang Tiezhu!”

A Works Ministry official ran over, pointing at him angrily.

“What have you done!”

“This furnace is a treasure of the Ministry, used for thirty years!”

“And now you’ve blown it up!”

“Can you even compensate?”

“Thirty years and still no replacement?”

Zhang Tiezhu looked unconcerned, arguing confidently:

“No wonder the iron we’ve been making is soft and brittle!”

“In my hometown, a furnace is replaced every ten years!”

“You’ve used it for thirty, and you blame the explosion?”

“You…”

The official was rendered speechless by his twisted logic, face red with anger.

“It’s Ministry regulations!”

“A furnace passed down from our ancestors—can’t just replace it?”

“And an ancestral furnace… can’t it explode?”

Zhang Tiezhu straightened his neck and retorted.

“This antique was long overdue for destruction!”

“Good thing it exploded; now I can build you a new one!”

“You… you…”

The official was too angry to speak.

“Enough!”

Li An’s voice rang out at the perfect moment.

Everyone turned to see him striding forward, making way.

Zhang Tiezhu rushed up, full of shame.

“Lord Li! I blew up the furnace…”

“Well done!”

Li An grabbed his hand, eyes shining.

“Well done!”

“Excellent!”

“What does this explosion prove?”

He looked around and proclaimed loudly:

“It proves Zhang Tiezhu is experimenting! Innovating!”

“Failure is the mother of success!”

“One old furnace blown up is nothing!”

“As long as we can forge better iron, blowing up ten furnaces is worth it!”

The officials around were dumbfounded.

This… makes sense?

Cheering for a blown-up furnace?

Isn’t this encouraging destruction?

The Works Ministry official stomped in frustration.

“Lord Li! This furnace is worth three thousand taels of silver!”

“Repairing it will take at least half a month!”

“All forging tasks in the Ministry of Works will have to stop during this time!”

“Perfect timing to stop.”

Li An nodded solemnly.

“You all need a break too.”

“Working every day, it must be exhausting.”

“This loss—I approve it!”

“Record it in the national treasury accounts!”

He walked over to Zhang Tiezhu and gave his shoulder a heavy pat.

“Brother, keep going!”

“Dare to try, dare to fail!”

“Next time, blow up an even bigger one!”

Zhang Tiezhu was so moved that tears filled his eyes. He felt as if he had finally found a kindred spirit in this lifetime.

“Lord Li… you… you are truly like a second parent to me!”

“Other officials would only scold or beat me.”

“Only you understand me!”

“My life from now on belongs to you!”

Li An nodded in satisfaction, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

Keep blowing things up! Blow as hard as you can!

Better yet, blow up the entire Ministry of Works!

Let’s see how the national fortune rises after that!

Ding!

【Detected: Host openly condoning the destruction of public property…】

【Ministry of Works furnace destroyed, heavy losses…】

【Craftsmen’s morale in chaos, efficiency plummets…】

【National Fortune -800】

【Current National Fortune: 75,700】

It dropped! Dropped again!

Li An squinted, feeling extremely pleased.

Today’s inspection yielded great results!

Next, Li An inspected other departments, and the national fortune plummeted by several thousand more.

…

Evening.

In front of the Top Scholar’s Mansion.

Li An returned by carriage and froze as soon as he stepped out.

A large crowd had gathered at the gate.

Ink had been splashed on the wall, forming eight large characters:

“Traitor Li An, destroyer of our state!”

The surrounding townsfolk pointed and whispered.

“Did you hear? Lord Li went to inspect today and encouraged those farmers to pull up all the flowers!”

“He even blew up the Ministry of Works furnace, said it was well done!”

“This man must be crazy, right?”

“Exactly! How could a top scholar do such things?”

Hongmei stepped forward, her face extremely dark.

“Master, I can have these words cleaned off…”

“Clean them? Why clean them!”

Li An waved his hand, cutting her off.

“Well written!”

He walked to the wall and carefully examined the dripping ink characters.

“Traitor Li An… destroyer of our state…”

“Hm, nice calligraphy. Strong, vigorous strokes, deeply penetrating!”

Everyone around was dumbfounded.

He was being called a traitor, and he was praising the handwriting?

“Someone!”

Li An turned and shouted.

“Frame these words for me!”

“Hang them in the study!”

“This is an award!”

Hongmei opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a word.

She had followed Li An for so long, and this was the first time she saw him treat insults as awards.

The onlooking townsfolk whispered even more.

“This Lord Li… does he have a screw loose?”

“He must be out of his mind from anger…”

“No, wait, look at his expression—he actually seems happy…”

“Crazy! He’s definitely crazy!”

Li An listened to their discussions, the smile on his lips growing wider.

Insult me! Insult me!

The harsher, the better!

I love this feeling of being condemned by everyone!

Ding!

【Detected: Host has become infamous among the common people…】

【Public trust in host sharply declines…】

【The title “Traitor” begins circulating…】

【But since host takes it lightly, some are curious… National Fortune impact: -500】

【Current National Fortune: 72,200】

Li An nodded. Though the drop wasn’t large, it was satisfying.

Another five hundred down.

Today alone, the national fortune dropped more than five thousand.

Keep this momentum, and soon, the national fortune will hit rock bottom.

“Master.”

Hongmei walked beside him, lowering her voice.

“News came from the Imperial Uncle’s mansion.”

“What news?”

“Miss Liu Wanqing heard about today’s events and wanted to come see you.”

“But was stopped by the Imperial Uncle.”

“He said… let you continue causing trouble. The bigger the chaos, the lower she’ll bow when begging later.”

“Beg him?”

Li An sneered.

“Fat chance.”

“I’m not after power or status.”

He turned and walked into the mansion, speaking as he went:

“Tired today. I need to rest.”

“Tomorrow’s court session will probably be another fierce battle.”

“Those old geezers must already be sharpening their knives…”

…

Meanwhile, in a teahouse.

Several scholars sat around a table, discussing today’s news.

“Did you hear about Li An’s actions today?”

“Unbelievable!”

“He supported farmers pulling up precious flowers!”

“Allowed a blacksmith to blow up the Ministry of Works furnace!”

“And even framed insults as awards!”

“What is this man trying to do?”

An older scholar stroked his beard and analyzed thoughtfully.

“In my view, this person is either crazy, or…”

“Or what?”

“Or he is cunning in his folly, with a depth we can’t see.”

“Depth? Pulling flowers and blowing up a furnace—what depth is there?”

“That’s the unknown part.”

The scholar shook his head.

“But someone who can top the imperial exams is no ordinary person.”

“Wait and see… the best is yet to come…”

…

In the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

Night had fallen, yet candlelight flickered in the study.

Wang Fu flipped through the intelligence reports received today, his expression shifting from a cold smile to deep thought.

He had been seated at the desk for two hours, with thick stacks of dossiers on Li An before him.

From insulting the emperor in the palace exam, to selling official posts to fund the army, to today’s inspection fiasco… he had carefully studied every incident.

“Strange… too strange…”

Wang Fu put down the report and picked up his teacup, staring at the floating tea leaves instead of drinking.

Advisor Zhang Tingyu, standing nearby, cautiously asked:

“Prime Minister, is something amiss?”

“Look at these events.”

Wang Fu pointed at the dossiers on the desk.

“Every act Li An does seems absurd, but what are the results?”

“Insult the emperor in the palace exam—becomes Top Scholar. Sell offices—fund the army. Hold an exposition—profit massively.”

“Which of these acts doesn’t appear ridiculous but actually benefit the Great Qi?”

Zhang Tingyu nodded: “You’re right, Prime Minister. Li An is indeed extraordinary.”

“But today is different.”

Wang Fu narrowed his eyes, lightly tapping his fingers on the desk, speaking seriously:

“Today, what he did is genuine destruction. Pulling flowers, blowing up furnaces, being insulted and still happy… these cannot be justified.”

He added several entries to the “Record of Offenses,” each written with emphasis:

“Eighth Offense: Publicly supported destruction of tribute flowers at the Ministry of Revenue, causing losses of tens of thousands, disgracing diplomatic relations…”

“Ninth Offense: Allowed subordinates to blow up Ministry of Works furnace, halting forging, damaging military readiness…”

“Tenth Offense: Indifferent to public humiliation, taking it as honor, disgracing decorum…”

Finishing the last entry, Wang Fu put down his brush, a satisfied smile on his face.

“Ten major offenses, each fatal. This time, he won’t escape.”

Zhang Tingyu worriedly asked: “Prime Minister, shall we act now? What if His Majesty protects him again…”

“Protects him again?”

Wang Fu sneered, standing and pacing the study with his hands behind his back.

“Previously, the Emperor protected him because his absurd actions benefited Great Qi. But this time is different.”

He went to the window, gazing at the bright moon, his voice lowering.

“This time, he’s attacking the foundation of Great Qi. The tribute flowers represent national prestige. The Ministry of Works furnace is a military asset, vital to border security. Even if the Emperor favors him, it can’t be justified.”

Zhang Tingyu understood: “Brilliant, Prime Minister!”

“However…”

Wang Fu turned cautiously:

“We must not act hastily. Let him cause chaos for a few more days; the more evidence, the worse for him.”

“And…”

He returned to the desk, picking up a secret report, scrutinizing it under candlelight.

“I need to confirm one thing.”

“What thing?”

“Is Li An truly mad, or pretending?”

Wang Fu’s voice deepened, tinged with caution.

“If he is truly mad, it’s simple—impeach him. But if he is pretending…”

He paused, eyes showing a trace of apprehension.

“Then he must have a bigger scheme behind him.”

Zhang Tingyu gasped: “You mean…”

“Tomorrow’s court session, Minister of Personnel Wang Run will join fifty-three officials in impeaching him.”

Wang Fu lightly tapped the desk.

“Our men stay in the shadows. Let Wang Run and others lead the charge, testing Li An’s cards.”

“If Li An has no countermeasures, then we strike—deadly.”

“If he has a hidden ace…”

A cold smile curved Wang Fu’s lips.

“Then he has someone backing him. And the only one who could protect him in that case…”

He didn’t finish, but Zhang Tingyu understood.

The only person who could protect Li An in this scenario… is the Emperor.

“Brilliant, Prime Minister!”

Zhang Tingyu admired him sincerely.

“This way, whether Li An is mad or pretending, we can uncover the truth. And by letting Wang Run lead first, even if they fail, our foundations remain intact.”

“Exactly.”

Wang Fu nodded, returning to his desk.

“Sun Tzu says: Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Li An is extraordinary. We must uncover his secrets first, then strike fatally.”

He wrote a few neat, strong lines on paper.

“Execute this. Keep it secret; no one must suspect.”

“Yes, sir!”

Zhang Tingyu took the note, bowed, and withdrew.

The study was left with Wang Fu alone.

He gazed at the thick dossiers, his expression complicated. After a long moment, he muttered:

“Li An… who exactly are you? Let’s see how long you can pretend… Why did you feign loyalty to my Prime Minister’s Mansion? I still hold evidence of your secret dealings with the Empress!”

…

Late at night.

In the Top Scholar’s Mansion study.

Li An sat alone under the lamp, reopening the system panel.

Ding!

【Today’s National Fortune Changes Summary】

【Ministry of Revenue flowers destroyed, cultural traditions broken… National Fortune -1000】

【Ministry of Works furnace exploded, forging halted… National Fortune -800】

…

【Host’s public reputation plummeted… National Fortune -500】

【Including previous public opinion… National Fortune -200】

【Current National Fortune: 72,200】

【Daily drop: 5,300】

【Cumulative drop this cycle: ~80,000】

Li An looked at the numbers, a satisfied smile on his face.

Five thousand three hundred!

Even more than yesterday!

At this rate, it won’t be long before the national fortune drops below fifty thousand!

Then…

Hehe…

Just as he was gleefully thinking, the system popped up a new alert.

Ding!

【Emergency Alert】

【Detected: Various factions in court are uniting…】

【Minister of Personnel Wang Run, joined by 53 officials, will impeach host…】

【Charges include: condoning subordinates, destroying public property, insulting saints, corrupting officialdom…】

【Tomorrow’s court session will see a major battle!】

【Host, prepare accordingly!】

“Fifty-three officials joining forces?”

Li An was first stunned. Then he laughed heartily.

“Good! Excellent!”

“Tomorrow, prepare for a big one!”

“I love the feeling of having the entire court as my enemy!”

“Then I’ll say shocking things to anger them!”

“Make the national fortune drop even more!”

He blew out the oil lamp and flopped onto the bed.

“Sleep, sleep!”

“Tomorrow… the real show begins…”

Outside, the moonlight shimmered like water.

A black shadow silently glided across the roof, disappearing into the night.

Far to the north…

In the Northern Yan Imperial Palace.

Emperor Murong Ba, back in Northern Yan, looked at the secret report on his desk and couldn’t help cheering.

“Mastered the exams! Chaos in the Six Ministries! Court shaken…”

“Li An, well done! Truly my best-looking spy undercover…”

“Keep undermining Great Qi’s foundation, bit by bit…”